Thailand 2007

Thailand is a beautiful country rich in tradition. From an aquarists view point it has much to offer. Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is well known for supplying the freshwater ornamental fish industry throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Thailand is just north of the equator, bordered by the Andaman Sea in the West and the Gulf of Thailand to the East. Both sides of the country contain diverse coral reefs. Marine life from the Indian Ocean can be seen in the Andaman Sea and in the Gulf, many Indo-Pacific species are found.

The island of Phuket was the location for this years soft coral workshop. It was held at the Phuket Marine Biological Center, which is also home to a rather nice public aquarium. Phuket is a popular tourist get away for people from Europe and Asia. The many towns spread around the island offer activities for shopping and watersports. A major part of the popularity of this island is the easy access to well known dive sites. 

Almost all of the diving takes place off shore along patch reefs. The dive sites are often located along granite islands that rise up very majestically out of the ocean. They make for very beautiful scenery above water and also hint at the underwater topography below. There are many areas where diving is done along the walls of the granite islands or even submerged granite rock formations in the open ocean. The fast moving currents mean that much of the diving is "drift" or following the currents from an entry point to a different exit point. 

These currents also carry nutrients and plankton to many coral species. Fortunately, the filter feeding organisms are easily accessed in shallow parts of many of the reefs because of the currents. Non-photosynthetic corals that filter feed are often found living in shallow water along side reef building photosynthetic corals. Tubastrea sp. is a good example of a coral that is found here in a shallow-water, bright light environment thriving on the rich foods available to it. Barrel sponges whose growth form is quite common in the Caribbean are frequently seen on Phuket's coral reefs.

Various genera of nephtheids like Dendronephthya and Scleronephthya are abundant on the coral reefs around Thailand. The diversity of these soft corals is much like what is found in the Red Sea. Intermixed with the rich coral fauna are many different fish species. Many Cardinalfish species can be found sheltered among the branches of sea fans. Chromis and Damselfish species are abundant such as the Malayan Chromis (Chromis flavipectoralis). Schools of Anthias and Soldierfish are common along reef walls in the current. At least 5 species of Pufferfish were identified during seven days of diving.

Predator fishes are active on the reefs of Phuket; day and night. Currents carrying plankton feed many small fish communities, which in turn attract predators like Lionfish, Scorpionfish, and stonefish. There also many herbivorous fishes like the Blackeye Rabbitfish (Siganus puelloides) and Golden Rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus), and many species of Surgeonfishes.

Various hard corals are found in Thailand that are popular in the aquarium trade. The only difference is scale. Most of the corals are large, covering areas measured in meters or more. There are fields of Acropora, Montipora, Heliopora, and  Euphyllia  or Hammer Coral. It is very interesting to observe these corals in their natural habitat and compare their environments to those we create in aquaria. Parameters like water flow, light, and even predators can occupy the mind while underwater. This leads to conversations and many notes after a dive.

Soft corals and sea fans are prevalent throughout the coral communities of Phuket. Some reefs are dominated by them, while others are mixed with a variety of hard corals and octocorals. There was no notable depth limitation to their diversity up to 25 meters, the limit of our observations. Members of the family Alcyoniidae were well represented by the genera Sarcophyton, Sinularia, and Lobophytum. Two species belonging to the genus Ovabunda were identified during laboratory examination. There were also many specimens of Melithaeidae, some that grow to be over 1 meter high!

Night time on the reef is exciting to observe. Just like in aquariums many of the reef inhabitants venture out at night or change their appearance. Bubble corals deflate to produce feeding tentacles, sea fans become full of extended polyps, sea stars are out and about too.

There are numerous invertebrates to study and photograph. The nudibranchs are particularly plentiful. They exhibit a striking variety of colors and patterns. Occasionally, symbiotic relationships can be observed like the orange spotted nudibranch (Chromodoris annulata) and an Imperial Shrimp ( Periclimenes imperator)

Clownfish and host sea anemones are abundant on these reefs in shallow water. The clownfish and occasional damselfish communities are very protective of their anemones. There are three  common species of Clownfish regularly observed. They are the False Clown (Amphiprion ocellaris), Red Saddleback (Amphiprion ephippium) and Skunk Clown (Amphiprion akallopisos).

If You Go:

    Most regions in Thailand experience two monsoonal seasons. The southwestern monsoon typically lasts from April to October affecting the Island of Phuket with storms from the Indian Ocean. The Gulf of Thailand receives northeast monsoon flows  from November to about March. So the best diving in Phuket would generally be from the late October to April period. 
     Most of the coral reefs are located off shore, about a 1 hour minimum boat ride. There are some snorkeling spots but much of the marine life is better accessed by diving. Water clarity is quite variable, we experienced moderately turbid waters with visibility from 20 to 40 feet on average. The currents here can be a little strong at times and erratic. Diving is very popular and there are many companies to choose from. The boats are large and not to crowded. We used Sea World Dive Team to assist us with our diving itinerary. They were very helpful in developing a custom schedule to fit our needs and interests. Rental dive equipment looked rather new and safe on the boats we went out on.
    Amenities abound in Phuket with Jungle hiking, beach activities and nightlife. There are many western style markets and restaurants as well as the famous Thai dishes to enjoy. The local seafood is excellent. Some international airlines offer flights directly into the Phuket airport. Others fly into Bangkok. It is about 1 1/2 hour flight from Bangkok to Phuket.